ND Twister Kills One, Levels Trailer Parks
CBNNews.com
August 28, 2007
CBNNews.com - One was killed, at least 18 were injured and two mobile home parks were destroyed as a tornado swept across Northwood, North Dakota Sunday night.
Click on the video player to view damage from the devastating twister.
"This town is a mess. This town is a disaster," said a spokesman for the town's emergency operations center, Kevin Dean. "There's virtually nothing that hasn't been damaged."
The town's school had its roof ripped off in the twister, with classrooms being filled with water. Due to the damage, classes will not begin for the fall semester on Monday, as scheduled.
Windows were broken at the town's health center, where residents of a 77-bed nursing home were rushed into corridors as the tornado struck, said nursing director Carla Sletten.
An emergency declaration was issued Monday by Gov. John Hoeven, who deployed the National Guard to assist in operations to clean up the town.
Power to the entire city was shut down as a precaution after wreckage and power lines blocked many streets.
It was estimated by National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Gust that the tornado was about one mile wide with wind speeds of 170 mph when it swept through the town.
The amount of damage "just floored me," said Grand Forks County Sheriff Dan Hill.
"There were cars that looked like they went through a crusher," Hill added.
Fifty-seven-year-old Larry Weisz was killed as the base of a mobile home crushed him against a tree, said Hill, who reported that the two demolished trailer parks contained 19 units.
"To me, it doesn't look like there's anything salvageable," said the owner of the parks, Rick McDonald.
When the twister howled through the area, Russell and Verna Melfald huddled in a corner of their mobile home and prayed.
"We were crying," said Russell Melfald with tears in his eyes. "We thought we were going to go."
The twister ripped through one of the mobile home parks while Bonnie Fisher was visiting her friend in one of the units.
"We heard the sound, which was just like a roaring train, and just as we were trying to get out, the lights went out, the windows shattered and the next thing we knew, we were down, and the trailer was on top of us," Fisher recounted.
Located approximately 30 miles southwest of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Northwood's population is slightly less than 1,000
More severe weather was predicted for North Dakota, as meteorologists noted that an unstable warm air mass would be followed by a strong cold front on Monday.
Source: The Associated Press
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